Propelling mechanism.



No. 801,501. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905. F. A. BAKER.

PROPBLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 28 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATBNTED OCT. 10, 1905.

F. A. BAKER. PROPBLLING MECHANISM.

[/VVEJVTOR w W m/ u cuw. u. alum! no. mum van-mun a Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROPELLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed January 28, 1904. Serial No. 191,054.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED A. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cayuga, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling Mechanisms; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for transmitting power and reversing its motion.

One object of the invention resides in the provision and arrangement of a mechanism wherein there is employed a driven and driving member, there being suitable connecting means arranged therebetween to start, stop, and reverse the movement of the driven member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, durable, and compact arrangement of means .for starting, stopping, and reversing the transmission-power of boats, automobiles, and the like without the necessity of manipulating the engine.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes in the form, size, proportion, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention, the upper section of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the invention, including the upper part of the casing. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the sliding clutch member. Fig. 5 is a side view of the clutch member. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the beveled gears, illustrating the projections arranged upon the inner face thereof. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the lever for manipulating the sliding clutch member, and Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view illusplate 30.

trating the detailed manner in which the flanges of the upper and lower casing-sections are fitted together to form the extended bearing-surfaces for the gear-wheel shafts or stubs.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the essential parts of the invention are inclosed within a suitable casing 1, one section thereof having the upper edges of its sides provided with semicircular notches 2. Disposed upon the edges of the sides of the lower section of the casing and arranged with respect to the outer contour of the said semicircular openings are formed suitable flanges 3, each having a groove 4 formed in its lower portion to correspond with the outline of the said notches. Through the medium of bolts or other means 5, piercing the flanges 6 of the upper section of the casing, which latter flanges are similar in form to the flanges 3 of the lower section, both sections are securely and properly fastened together, the semicircular notches and flanges forming circular openings and extended bearing-surfaces for supporting the shafts and stubs of the gear-wheels arranged within the casing.

Entering one side of the casing through one of the circular openings formed by the aforesaid semicircular notches and flanges is a driving-shaft 8, whose free end terminates at the inner face of a beveled gear 9, arranged within the casing, the opposite end of the shaft being connected up in any suitable manner to any variety of engine (not shown) and the gear keyed to the shaft in any suitable manner. A driven shaft 10 of smaller crosssectional diameter than the drivingshaft enters the opening in the side of the casing opposite the opening in which the drivingshaft is inserted and extends through the easing with its inner end reduced and in circular form and fitted to have loose bearing within the recess 7 in the end of the driving-shaft. Loosely mounted upon the driven shaft within the casing at the side opposite the disposition of the first-mentioned beveled gear is a second beveled gear 11. Intermediate gears 12 and 13 are designed to be at all times in mesh with the gears 9 and 11, the former being mounted upon suitable stubs 14 and 15, respectively. The driven shaft has its inner end formed rectangular in cross-section from the points (0 :0, upon which is slidably mounted a clutch member 16, having a groove or channel 17, formed intermediate its ends. The formation nel 17 to prevent lateral displacement.

of the annular groove or channel 17 results in the ends of the clutch member being of greater diameter than its intermediate portion, and by reference to the drawings it will be seen that the outer peripheries of the ends of the clutch member are provided with peculiarlyformed notches 18 and 19, the notches of each end of the clutch member being arranged opposite each other in pairs, each pair of each end being arranged directly opposite one pair to the other. By reason of the fact that the clutch member is provided with a rectangular bore and designed to slide upon the rectangular portion of the driven shaft the clutch member is prevented from turning independently of the shaft upon which it is mounted, but is permitted to slide longitudinally there of for the purpose of permitting the clutch member to present its notched ends for looking engagement with the correspondinglyformed projections 20 and 21, formed upon the inner faces of the beveled gears 9 and 11, respectively.

It will now be understood that when the clutch member 16 is free from engagement with the gears the driving-shaft may be rotated in one direction; but such rotation will not cause the driven shaft to rotate in either direction, for the reason that while the gear 9 is keyed to the driving-shaft and in mesh with the intermediate gears 12 and 13, which latter are in turn in mesh with the gear 11, the latter gear, being loosely mounted upon the driven shaft 10, will not impart motion to the latter. However, when the clutch member 16 is moved longitudinally upon the driven shaft with its notches 19 in locked engagement with the corresponding projections 21 of the gear 9 the driven shaft will be keyed to the driving-shaft, as well understood, causing both shafts to rotate in the same direction. When it is desired to reverse the direction of rotation of the driven shaft without changing the direction of rotation of the driving-shaft or reversing the engine, (not shown,) it is only necessary to move the clutch member out of engagement with the gear 9 and shift it into locking engagement with the gear 11, the projections 20of the latter and notches 18 of the former insuring a positive locking engagement, keying the gear 11 to the driven shaft and causing the latter through the instrumentality and movement of the gears to rotate in the opposite direction of rotation of the driving-shaft.

Various devices may be employed for shifting the clutch member, and one form of device is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein will be found a shifting-lever 22, having lugs or prongs 23 designed to embrace the clutch member, fitting in the groove or chanwill be seen that the shifting device in this upon which the gears are mounted.

instance is pivotally mounted upon a pivotpin 25, arranged between the lugs 26 and 27 of the upper casing-section, and protrudes through the opening 28 in the upper casingsection. It is to be understood, however, that other shifting devices and mountings therefor may be employed, if desired.

By means of the flanges 29, formed upon the lower edges of the lower casing-section, the present invention may be fixedly secured to the framework or other support for operating propeller-wheels of boats, driving mechanism of automobiles, &c.

While the gears shown in the drawings are of that form employing teeth, it is to be understood that the gears may be of that character employed for frictional-engagement purposes, and it is to be understood also that the upper casing-section may be eliminated from the structure, if desired, the plates 30 being employed and arranged with relation to the flanges 3 of the lower casing-section to pro vide suitable bearings for the shafts and stubs However, the inclosing casing precludes the lodgment of dust and foreign matter settling upon or within the said internal mechanism and serves also to retain the lubricating ingredients.

What is claimed is In a propelling mechanism, the combination with a casing including upper and lower sections, each section having corresponding flanges adapted to form extended bearingsurfaces circular in cross-section when fastened together, the upper section having an opening in its top, of a driving-shaft mounted in one of said bearing-surfaces, a driven shaft mounted in the bearing opposite the drivingshaft, said driven shaft having a portion of its length formed rectangular in cross-section, a gear-wheel keyed directly to the driving- ,shaft, a gear-wheel mounted loosely upon the driven shaft in advance of the rectangular portion thereof, intermediate gear wheels meshed with the other gear-wheels, a clutch member slidably m unted upon the rectangular portion of the driven shaft, said clutch member having a rectangular-shaped bore to prevent its turning upon said shaft, and a lever pivotally mounted over said opening in the upper section of the casing and permitted to extend through said opening for engagement with the clutch member to shift the latter into and out of'operative relation with the two first-mentioned gear-wheels.

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED A. BAKER.

Witnesses:

G. EARLE TREAT, WV. J. MoMAs'rER. 

